Jesus exhibited good judgment in his ministry and life and showed that he knew how to act in the right way and how to do the action correctly so that it was completely effective and achieved its purposes without his having any regrets about the consequences. Even his death on the cross was a completely effective action even though it appeared to be a failure at first. This gives us the confidence that we too can get it right and be effective in our actions even though we live in a world that is filled with complexity and chaos.
Our existence is characterized by complexity and chaos and we can't always anticipate the consequences of our behaviors, because those consequences are influenced by what nature and other human beings are doing. In addition, there are so many elements of reality that we have to reflect on when we are considering an action that it is a wonder that we ever do the right thing at the right time and that is the reason why it is true that "to err is human." The probability is that we will make mistakes rather than do the right thing at the right time.
Yet, the bible testifies to the possibility of getting it right. The wisdom literature of the Old Testament talks about how prudence (getting it right) comes from wisdom (fear of the Lord) (Proverbs 8:5,12). The New Testament also speaks of prudence and wisdom being united (Ephesians 1:8). Being in an intimate relationship with God tunes one into a frequency that guides one to the right kinds of actions. Wisdom literature talks about meeting wisdom at the gate early in the morning and prudence following the rest of the day (Wisdom 6:14-15). Spending time in prayer early in the morning can put one onto the right path so that one doesn't make blunders all day long. We see Jesus often withdrawing from the disciples and the crowds to go away and be in deep prayer with God. This prayer time oriented him so that he could make the right decisions at the right time and in the right way and for the right reason. His prayer time with God put him in the right relationship with God and from that right relationship flowed right action.
Everyone needs practical judgment but Jesus did especially so. Just consider his first sermon at Nazareth. Jesus announced his own prophetic ministry and implied that he was being sent to the Gentiles the way Elisha and Elijah ministered to non-Jews. The people in his hometown were so incensed by his bold claims that they took him to the cliff at the edge of the city to throw him off. This may have been the end of Jesus' ministry, except that he knew the right thing to do at the right time. He allowed himself to be taken to the edge of the cliff and did not resist. He did not panic. He didn't beg for his life. He simply went along with them. Then when he was at the edge and they were about to throw him over he left by walking through them (Luke 16-30).
It is wise to permit people to express their anger and this is a significant insight into human action. A person who is in customer service knows they need to listen to an angry customer even when the problem could be solved quickly and when the customer is going on and on. The customer has become frustrated about something having gone wrong and he has to get it out. A good customer service person will listen carefully and respond with concern, because this deescalates the anger. The customer is then quieted and the problem can be resolved. Jesus understood this law of human nature and he allowed the people of Nazareth to expend their fury. In this way, he was able to preserve his life.
But how do you get this kind of patience and foresight so that you don't panic in situations like the one Jesus found himself in? You only get this kind of deep insight into human nature by spending time in contemplation and prayer. Prayer time should not just be for asking favors. Prayer time should be time in which you are quiet so that God can reveal a deeper level of reality to you. Prayer should be a time of listening and following. God can guide us in our thoughts and help us understand a deeper wisdom regarding our plans and as a result as we work out our plans during the day we can find the right thing to do at the right time so that our actions are completely effective as God intends them to be.
Our existence is characterized by complexity and chaos and we can't always anticipate the consequences of our behaviors, because those consequences are influenced by what nature and other human beings are doing. In addition, there are so many elements of reality that we have to reflect on when we are considering an action that it is a wonder that we ever do the right thing at the right time and that is the reason why it is true that "to err is human." The probability is that we will make mistakes rather than do the right thing at the right time.
Yet, the bible testifies to the possibility of getting it right. The wisdom literature of the Old Testament talks about how prudence (getting it right) comes from wisdom (fear of the Lord) (Proverbs 8:5,12). The New Testament also speaks of prudence and wisdom being united (Ephesians 1:8). Being in an intimate relationship with God tunes one into a frequency that guides one to the right kinds of actions. Wisdom literature talks about meeting wisdom at the gate early in the morning and prudence following the rest of the day (Wisdom 6:14-15). Spending time in prayer early in the morning can put one onto the right path so that one doesn't make blunders all day long. We see Jesus often withdrawing from the disciples and the crowds to go away and be in deep prayer with God. This prayer time oriented him so that he could make the right decisions at the right time and in the right way and for the right reason. His prayer time with God put him in the right relationship with God and from that right relationship flowed right action.
Everyone needs practical judgment but Jesus did especially so. Just consider his first sermon at Nazareth. Jesus announced his own prophetic ministry and implied that he was being sent to the Gentiles the way Elisha and Elijah ministered to non-Jews. The people in his hometown were so incensed by his bold claims that they took him to the cliff at the edge of the city to throw him off. This may have been the end of Jesus' ministry, except that he knew the right thing to do at the right time. He allowed himself to be taken to the edge of the cliff and did not resist. He did not panic. He didn't beg for his life. He simply went along with them. Then when he was at the edge and they were about to throw him over he left by walking through them (Luke 16-30).
It is wise to permit people to express their anger and this is a significant insight into human action. A person who is in customer service knows they need to listen to an angry customer even when the problem could be solved quickly and when the customer is going on and on. The customer has become frustrated about something having gone wrong and he has to get it out. A good customer service person will listen carefully and respond with concern, because this deescalates the anger. The customer is then quieted and the problem can be resolved. Jesus understood this law of human nature and he allowed the people of Nazareth to expend their fury. In this way, he was able to preserve his life.
But how do you get this kind of patience and foresight so that you don't panic in situations like the one Jesus found himself in? You only get this kind of deep insight into human nature by spending time in contemplation and prayer. Prayer time should not just be for asking favors. Prayer time should be time in which you are quiet so that God can reveal a deeper level of reality to you. Prayer should be a time of listening and following. God can guide us in our thoughts and help us understand a deeper wisdom regarding our plans and as a result as we work out our plans during the day we can find the right thing to do at the right time so that our actions are completely effective as God intends them to be.
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